Additional I-A game

Joe Paterno, head football coach
Pennsylvania State University
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"I think the athletics directors and the people who are on the (Division I) Management Council have to decide whether we're in this to educate kids or whether we're in the business that these kids are going to be used to make money. And if you look at some of the graduation rates around the country, you wonder.

"Now we're going to play a 12th game? It's going to be like basketball. None of these kids will go to school, if we're not careful. I think we have to sit down and be reasonable about what we ask of kids."

Academic reform

Rev. John Schlegel, president
Creighton University
Omaha World Herald

"(The Academic Progress Rate) places coaches and athletics directors in the unenviable position of having to choose between what is best for the athlete and what is best for the program. (Ideally, of course, they should be one and the same.)

"Universities have an ethical obligation to counsel students to do what is best for those students. Many college students opt to change their majors while in school. Some 20 percent of freshmen may decide to transfer to another school or drop out at the end of their sophomore year. There are often valid reasons for those decisions.

"Under the current APR system, athletics programs can lose scholarships if a student decides to change majors, leaves school to go to another institution or pursue a dream of playing professionally. If student-athletes leave due to a coaching change, the program also could suffer a loss of scholarships.

"This is unfair to the institution and ultimately could cause hardship for the students who want to continue their athletic careers at other schools. In order to avoid losing scholarships, coaches may not release these students, who then have to sit out a year before being eligible to play elsewhere."

Athletics spending

Michael Granoff, professor of accounting
University of Texas at Austin
Chronicle of Higher Education

Reacting to an NCAA study on capital spending in athletics:

"You don't have to be an economist to know there's an arms race going on. Just look at what's being spent for practice facilities, facilities for nonrevenue sports, and so on.

"The issue is not to compare it with overall university costs. It's a question of how much is being spent on athletics facilities when there are unmet physical plant needs for the rest of the university. That's what people are upset about."

Andy Geiger, director of athletics
Ohio State University
Chronicle of Higher Education

"What amazes me is the fuss over this. Universities build new facilities in all areas possible in order to compete. This is especially true in research institutions. I don't think athletics does this sort of thing more than medicine or other parts of the university.

"Athletics is required to earn as much revenue as possible and is roundly criticized for doing what it takes to do so over the long term with facility upgrades or new initiatives. If a school is a member of a conference that is powerful and competitive and has poor facilities it will likely fail. So they will try to catch up. Why is this remarkable when the same school will do exactly the same thing with academic facilities? Sure there is an arms race. Why wouldn't there be?"

Nutritional supplements

Travis LaTendresse, football student-athlete
University of Utah
Salt Lake Tribune

Discussing the risks student-athletes take when ingesting over-the-counter supplements:

"It's a minefield. My personal experience is I don't want to mess with anything that can put my eligibility at risk. The best thing to do is have a good work ethic and work hard and not take any supplements."

Annabeth Eberle, gymnast
University of Utah
Salt Lake Tribune

"Guys tend to want to have results faster and get more caught up in that win-at-all-costs thing. Some guys want to put on more muscle or weight, but as a gymnast, it's a very weight-sensitive sport. I'd rather get my calories from good-tasting food."